ABSTRACT

Unemployment and the corollary of poverty among persons with disabilities have been well explored in the literature. As part of its global efforts to eradicate poverty, the United Nations, through its sustainable development goals, has urged countries to create economic opportunities for all persons to participate in income-generating activities. In Ghana, agriculture has been described as the backbone of the economy and the main source of employment and livelihood for many. However, it appears that policymakers are yet to explore how agriculture could create sustainable employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. This study makes a major contribution to research on the eradication of poverty among persons with disabilities by exploring their participation and experiences in agriculture-related activities. One-on-one interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with 19 persons with disabilities from three communities in a district in Ghana. A recurrent theme was that agriculture was a way through which the Ghanaian government could create employment for persons with disabilities. However, the participants recounted formidable barriers that affect their participation in agriculture: lack of land, funds and farming tools, and negative attitudes. These findings highlight the need for policymakers to engage with persons with disabilities to identify possible ways to assist their participation in agriculture.

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While research suggests that the inclusion of students with Down syndrome (DS) in regular classrooms has a positive impact on their learning, in general, a supportive teacher with a positive attitude is fundamental in shaping these students' school experiences. In Ghana, despite a large number of children with DS, there is little research exploring preservice teachers' attitudes toward including students with DS in regular schools. In this study, we recruited preservice teachers from teacher training institutions to understand the predictors of their attitudes toward teaching students with DS in regular classrooms. Using the revised Sentiment, Attitude, and Concern about Inclusive Education scale (SACIE-R), 855 preservice teachers were recruited from three colleges of education (n = 524) and two campuses of a public university (n = 331). Although the preservice teachers were ambivalent about teaching students with DS, several demographic variables-such as preservice training in inclusive education, practice experience, and confidence teaching students with disabilities-emerged as significant predictors of attitudes. The study limitations, recommendations for future research and implications for policymaking are discussed.